If you're a human who has a smartphone, it's pretty safe to assume you've had an autocorrect blunder. Thankfully, there's a new app that will save you from all forms of further embarrassment: On Second Thought allows you to fix or delete your text after you hit send. Sure, it's not the only "Oops, I Texted Again"-type app out there, but it does have a few features the others don't. And besides, let's face it: If there's one type of app we could benefit from a surfeit of, it's this type.
This ingenious app was invited by young entrepreneur Maci Peterson, who brainstormed the idea after an embarrassing autocorrect incident. "One time an ex-boyfriend...was calling me and I kept missing his calls," Peterson told Chicagoist. "I wanted to text him, 'Hey, for some reason I keep missing your calls,' but as I hit send autocorrect changed it to, 'Hey, for some reason I keep missing your...' a part of the male anatomy." She recalled her initial reaction to the mistake being slamming her fingers on her phone in some effort to try to unsend the message; like all of us who have been there, though, it didn't work.
Peterson couldn't believe that an app with this capability hadn't already been invented and it was her unsuccessful search for an app of this kind that led her to take action. The positve result? On Second Thought, which was just released for Android and will soon be available in the iTunes App Store for iPhone users.
If you're wondering how exactly it works, the app provides a 60-second grace period after you hit "send" in correct any errors, change any content, or even delete the text altogether. This gives you the opportunity to change your mind and gives you a second chance to send a text, hence the name On Second Thought.
If you're already starting to count the ways you can use the app to make your texting life better, I've got a few suggestions. Here are five applicable situations in which you can use On Second Thought to save yourself from textual regret and embarrassment.
1. Drunk Texting
Booze and texting don't often make for a good combination, and if you tend to drunk text messages that you find yourself regretting the next morning, the app has an additional curfew function: Once activated, it stores all of your messages and won't send them until the next day. That way, you can review your drunken plea to your ex or that horribly misspelled message you were going to send to your boss after you've sobered up.
2. Reactionary Texting
Have you ever found out a piece of either really good or really bad news and found yourself spilling the details to people you ultimately regret telling? If you've been in this situation, us On Second Thought's 60 second window to decide if your breakup announcement is really something you want to send to your entire contact list.
3. Angry Texting
It can be really tempting to go on a rampage against someone who is pushing your buttons via text, but this can easily cause a lot of damage to your relationship. WIth On Second Thought, you can still write the rage-filled messages and send them, but delete them before they ever reach that person's inbox.
4. Late Night Texting
You know the old saying, texting after midnight is never a good idea? Well, OK, maybe it's not an old saying, but it should be! Being home alone late at night can cause you to do things you will regret in the morning, so do yourself a favor and download On Second Thought to save your morning self from your 3 AM self.
5. Autocorrect Failure
There are entire blogs that are made in tribute to cringe-worthy autocorrect mistakes, which tells you how common them are. This app can easily save you from embarrassment, since you can check over your spelling and punctuation for a good 60 second before the message is actually sent.
Images: Giphy (5)
